Group Chief Internal Auditor

Group Chief Internal Auditor Salary: £84,000 - £130,000 Contract Type: Permanent Working Pattern: This post is available on a full time, part time or job share basis, and flexible working hours can be accommodated. Location: We will consider applications from people able to access the following offices: Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Swansea. About GIAA The Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) is driven by its unparalleled access across government to build better insights, better outcomes for our clients. This role offers a strong platform for career progression within the Agency and the wider civil service, providing opportunities to develop leadership, partner engagement and strategic relationship management skills across government. The Agency’s unique access across the public sector exposes you to different risk and control environments, allowing you to gain insights, apply experience, contribute meaningfully, and continue developing professionally. About the Role This is a significant career opportunity to join a fast paced and maturing organisation. As Group Chief Internal Auditor (GCIA), you will hold the responsibility for the provision of the GIAA internal audit service within your span of control in accordance with the Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS). The successful candidate will own responsibility for the end-to-end delivery of audit services to a portfolio of government clients, where the expectation will be that the work of the Agency will drive better insights, better outcomes for government. This role is being advertised on a flexible deployment basis, and the final portfolio will be allocated upon commencement. Role Responsibilities Lead and deliver internal audit work in line with Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) and the Agency’s QA methodology, ensuring timely escalation of risks and issues. Maintain organisational independence of the IA function, ensure objectivity, and uphold direct reporting lines to senior governance bodies (e.g., Accounting Officer, ARAC). Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, boards, and external auditors; act as a strategic advisor and communicate key messages with clarity. Develop and agree IA mandates and annual plans, determine and manage resource needs, and deliver plans on time, within budget, and to quality standards. Support senior leaders in identifying and managing key risks, provide assurance through audit reviews, and adapt audit programmes to changing risk profiles. Use Agency methodologies, technology, and tools to enhance engagement performance and continuously improve audit service delivery and team competency. Contribute to building capability across government internal audit, support external relationships (NAO, HMT, PAC), and help shape the future of the profession. Lead and develop teams, manage performance, drive change, innovation, and accountability. Foster an inclusive, safe, customer-focused environment and work collaboratively to manage risks and improve outcomes About You We are looking for an experienced and confident leader with the energy and drive to lead internal audits to deliver high quality and high impact products for a client base, whilst also driving transformational change and modernisation with a future focus. You will have substantial senior internal audit experience, including developing and delivering risk-based audit programmes in large/complex organisations, highly developed leadership skills and ability to drive transformational change. Strong analytical skills combined with commercial and political acumen, applying understanding of strategic risks to assurance delivery. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to influence peers, partners, and Board members. Experience leading innovation and continuous improvement and operating at senior leadership level, managing interdepartmental relationships and/or relationships with sponsored bodies. We are committed to being an inclusive employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, and we welcome applications from candidates who wish to work flexibly, for example, part-time, term time or job share.  GIAA has an expectation for all colleagues to attend their local workplace regularly and to attend client sites for key meetings and when undertaking fieldwork.  Qualifications Required: All candidates will need to demonstrate full current membership of a recognised professional accountancy/audit body, either: Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors UK & Ireland and must hold chartered auditor/CMIIA designation or the MIIA designation where you are qualified under the previous exam route and did not apply to make this chartered. If you have passed all the CMIIA/MIIA exams but do not hold the designation, you are not eligible to apply. Other Institutes of Internal Auditors that are part of IIA Global, If you studied with the Institute of Internal Auditors in another country, you must hold the equivalent of the MIIA designation. You should verify this with the IIA UK & Ireland prior to submitting your application, by emailing membership@iia.org.uk No other level of internal audit qualifications meet the requirements of this post. Or Accountancy, fully qualified, current member of a CCAB body (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS, Chartered Accountants Ireland or CIMA) Benefits of working for us Competitive salaries and in-year rewards Flexible working A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Discount on big brands Volunteering days Season Ticket Loan and Cycle to Work Schemes Free eyesight tests Family-friendly HR policies 25 days’ annual leave increasing by one day per year of service to 30 days after 5 years’ service. For more information about the GIAA, role, salary, benefits, who to contact and how to apply, please follow the Apply link. If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form, or speak to the recruitment team at GIAArecruitment@GIAA.gov.uk